Iniabi's Adventure In Fates
by TheDisneyFan365
Summary: The new Shepherds visit the Outrealm Gate a year and two months after returning to their own time in the now-peaceful bad future post the Nightmare King's defeat. During a freak accident, Iniabi and Cynthia get sucked in and sent to the Fates world, during the time of the Hoshido-Nohr war, where they help Corrin on his journey. Revelation route. Sequel to Sugar Rush: Ragnarök.
1. The Outrealm Gate

**Chapter 1: The Outrealm Gate**

 _"Location: Ylisse, the Nintendo Realm of the Dream World, June 29th 2169"_

Iniabi and Cynthia were with the Shepherds, and they were visiting the Outrealm Gate to the south of Ylisse.

"Oh, hey, guys!" Anna greeted, excited to see the group stopping by.

A Merchant Anna was with the group, as they had picked her up along the way.

"Hey, sis. It's so great to see you again." Merchant Anna greeted.

"It's great to see you too! And I love what you've done with your hair." Gatekeeper Anna said.

"Thanks! Oh, hey, did you..." Merchant Anna started to ask.

Iniabi cleared his throat, causing the two identical sisters to turn their attention to the blue haired Exalt.

"Oh, right. I forgot our leader/tactician and his wife want to talk to you." Merchant Anna said.

She walked off into the group and instantly tried to sell something to Brady, who was standing close by. Iniabi and Cynthia walked up to Outrealm Anna.

"So, what can I do for ya?" Gatekeeper Anna asked.

Iniabi turned to Cynthia.

"That's actually a good question. Why exactly are we here?" Iniabi asked.

"Well, I heard a villager in Ylisstol mention there was a temple located in the Outrealms that harbored some sort of treasure." Cynthia replied.

"What kind of treasure?" Iniabi and Gatekeeper Anna asked in unison.

"I'm not sure. I didn't hear enough details, but I did hear that it's one of a kind." Cynthia replied.

"That doesn't sound interesting. Well then, I'll just open the gate and... uh-oh." Gatekeeper Anna said.

"What's wrong?" Iniabi asked, having a bad feeling of what was coming.

"Something's wrong with the portal. I'm detecting some unusual energy readings. It's powering up!" Gatekeeper Anna replied.

"Oh, gods!" Cynthia said.

Frederick frowned.

"Is there a problem, milady?" Frederick asked.

Gatekeeper Anna kept her attention on Iniabi and Cynthia.

"It's gradually starting to become a powerful vacuum. I suggest you start running right about... now." Gatekeeper Anna replied.

A rising hum, similarly that of a beating heart, began emanating from the Outrealm Gate. Dark blue light began glowing, getting brighter by the second, before forming a white circular light in the shape of a crystalline eye several feet in diameter. Everyone stopped in amazement at the sight before them. In a second, the light created a powerful vacuum in the form of a howling gale, dragging all into it's vortex. The Shepherds and Annas were violently dumped by the gale as sand was blown into their ears, eyes, and mouths. They desperately dug their fingers into the soil, trying to get some sort of grip to prevent them from being dragged into the vortex. All eventually looked in horror as Cynthia lost her grip and was pulled towards the vortex, disappearing as soon as she made contact with it.

"Cynthia!" Noire cried.

Laurent turned to face everyone.

"Everyone, we have to leave now! Go!" Laurent yelled.

Hearing the urgency in the blonde's voice, everyone starting running away from the portal. However, Iniabi's tactician coat became stuck on a large rock that had fallen, due to the vacuum. Merchant Anna stopped running and ran back towards Iniabi so she could help him. Suddenly, the boulder lifted and got sucked into the portal. Iniabi started to get sucked in as well, but was stopped by Merchant Anna's hand grasping his, while her other hand hung onto a nearby tree.

"Anna, you need to let go!" Iniabi yelled over the noise of the vacuum.

The redhead was starting to lose her grip on the tree.

"Are you insane? If I'm lost, everyone will be fine, but if they lose their leader, who knows what will happen!" Merchant Anna shouted.

Her grip on the tree started to loosen even more, so Iniabi did the only thing he could think of.

"Sorry about this, Anna." Iniabi said.

He pulled out an Elwind tome and used it on Merchant Anna, propelling her out of the vacuum's range, but propelling Iniabi into the portal. Once he was in, the portal stopped sucking things in and disappeared. The group started to approach the now-shut off Outrealm Gate. Gerome turned to Gatekeeper Anna.

"What happened to the gate?" Gerome asked.

"It was unstable, so it shut down. Don't worry, it'll come back on... eventually, but I don't know how long it will take. When it opens up again, your leaders should be able to come back." Gatekeeper Anna replied.

Kjelle looked to where the portal used to be.

"Just get our friends back." Kjelle ordered.

"Gods, I hope their okay." Yarne said as he looked at where the vortex used to be.

Nah couldn't tell whether the half-Taguel said that as either a statement or a prayer.

 _"If we can't figure out the portal, divine intervention might be the only thing that can rescue Iniabi and Cynthia."_ Nah thought.


	2. Into The Ground

**Chapter 2: Into The Ground**

 _"Location: Fates Continent, the Nintendo Realm of the Dream World, February 19th 2013"_

In the far past, Corrin kept close behind Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura as they headed towards the Nohrian army gathered at the border. Soon after the incident at the Hoshidian plaza, Kaze came with the news of a large Nohrian army. Their movements were swift, and Corrin remembered his dream. Everything followed it down to the very last detail. On the border, Xander led the Nohrian troops, commanding the open field and battle studiously and without mercy, with Siegfried held high.

"Corrin, your alive! They haven't harmed you, have they?" Xander asked when he caught sight of the dragonic prince, as if he didn't care that three of the Hoshidan royals surrounded him.

"Xander, I'm fine! But... why are you invading Hoshido?" Corrin asked.

"Father say's it's time to show our true strength. Join us, and we'll end this quickly. If we conquer Hoshido here and now, we can avoid unnecessary bloodshed." Xander replied.

The Hoshidan siblings looked at Corrin, with expressions of concern, fear, and distrust.

"Xander... I... I need a minute." Corrin called out.

"Be careful, Corrin! This man is a Nohrian commander!" Ryoma called out, Raijinto poised to strike at Xander.

Just then, the Nohrian royals arrived on the battlefield. Memories of his time with them in Nohr appeared in Corrin's mind. He couldn't betray them, after all these years. But his family included more then just them.

"Corrin! I was so worried about you! Don't ever wander away from me again!" Camilla said, determined to be reunited with him.

Leo smirked.

"I'm glad your okay, Corrin. You must have the devil's own luck!" Leo said.

"Yaaay! We got our brother back!" Elise said excitedly.

Hinoka glared at her and the other Nohrian siblings.

"Nohrian scum! First you kidnap him, then you lie to him? Corrin is my brother, not yours!" Hinoka snapped.

Camilla narrowed her eyes at the elder Hoshidian princess.

"You are mistaken. Corrin is my sweet little brother. You may not have him." Camilla said.

Ryoma spoke again to Corrin.

"Don't be fooled by their words! You belong with your true family in Hoshido!" Ryoma called out.

"We have loved and raised you since you were a child! Come home, little prince! We can live as a family once more!" Xander called out.

"Come home to Hoshido, Corrin!" Ryoma called out.

"No, Corrin! Nohr is your home!" Xander called out.

Corrin's heart throbbed in his chest.

 _"What do I do?"_ Corrin wondered.

He moved his eyes between his Xander and Ryoma. They both turned to him with pleading expressions of love, solidarity, and hope. They wanted his response, and for him to choose either side. Ryoma held out his hand to him.

"This way." Ryoma said and nodded.

Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura stood behind him, the three waiting for his response and for him to choose to side with them. Even Takumi, after all his cries of complaint, looked longingly to him as well.

"B-Big brother?" Sakura asked in a stutter, clutching her healing rod tightly to her chest.

"He's my brother!" Elise cried.

Corrin's attention turned to his Nohrian siblings. Xander held out his hand to him.

"We're your family." Xander said.

Corrin looked out towards his family in Nohr and towards his siblings in Hoshido, realizing that the choice he made would change the world as he knew it. His siblings and family alike called out to him, but Corrin couldn't decide. Should he side with the family that had raised him since he was a boy, even with a wicked king in the form of his father? Or should he side with his family that had shown him the evil ways of Nohr when his mother was killed in the place of himself? Corrin took notice of both of his younger sisters teary eyes as they pleaded with him to stay. He looked towards his Nohrian family.

 _"Elise, Camilla, Leo, Xander."_ Corrin thought.

He looked towards his Hoshidan family.

 _"Sakura, Hinoka, Takumi, Ryoma."_ Corrin thought.

He wrestled with the differing choices in his mind, but could not bring himself to pick a side against any of his family members, blood-related or not. He clutched Yato tightly and spoke.

"I... I won't betray anyone!" Corrin announced. He turned to Xander and said "I won't fight against the people of Nohr after you cared for me all these years. You and Camilla, Leo and Elise... we might not be related by blood, but you are family to me. You've been with me for as long as I can remember.".

Ryoma face dropped, horror and confusion on his face. Meanwhile, his taller opposite smiled.

"Well said, little prince. What ties us together is thicker then blood." Xander said.

"What are you saying, Corrin? You would discard your true family and side with those who stand against us?" Ryoma asked.

Corrin shook his head.

"No. I refuse to fight against my Hoshidan siblings, either. Ryoma... we might not have spent much time together, but you are my family too. You, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura... I don't want to fight with you on this or any other battlefield." Corrin replied.

Ryoma smiled.

"We feel the same, Corrin." Ryoma said.

Corrin's voice hitched in his throat. He snapped his eyes shut for a moment, steeled himself, and stood tall.

"But I can't side with either of you against the other. I cannot betray any of my family." Corrin said.

"Corrin, what are you..." Xander started to ask.

"Going to do, then?" Ryoma asked.

"I'm so sorry, both of you. Please, set your swords aside! I'm sure a peaceful solution exists. If we could just..." Corrin started to reply.

Xander gripped Siegfried tighter.

"I've heard enough! Corrin, I can see what your trying to accomplish here. As your older brother, however, it is my duty to teach you the truth." Xander said.

"Not while I still stand! Corrin is finally back with his family! I will not let you take him again!" Ryoma roared.

"No, wait! Xander! Ryoma!" Corrin shouted.

The two ignored him.

"Don't think for a moment that I will let you take Corrin without a fight! It seems only right to cross swords with my opposing equal. As the heirs of our respective families, why don't we settle this here and now?" Xander asked.

"Prepare yourself, then. I will defeat you in defense of my kingdom and my brother!" Ryoma replied.

"Please, both of you, stop! We can still talk this out inste..." Corrin started to plead.

"HAAAA!" Xander yelled.

"YAAAAA!" Ryoma yelled.

The plains of Hoshido then erupted in chaos and became swamped in battle. Xander locked blades with Ryoma at the center of it all, while the cries of war ripped through the air. Soon, Corrin was left standing alone on a field full of people that now wanted his head. He was at a loss as to how to intervene, after watching his older brothers completely ignore him, begin to fight each other, and leave him behind. Just then, Azura approached him.

"Corrin, you have to choose. How do you expect to win against two armies?" Azura asked softly.

Corrin sighed.

"I don't want to fight them both Azura, but I just couldn't choose. How can I fight the only family I've ever known? And how can I fight the family that I was born to and still loves me, even though I've been gone for most of my life? I can't fight any of them." Corrin asked.

"Your not alone, Corrin. You have me by your side. I'll support you no matter what you choose." Azura replied.

"But don't you feel terrible by going against the family that raised you?" Corrin asked.

"Of course. And I could say the same to you. But I'm confident that you've made the right choice. I'll follow you, no matter where you go, Corrin. We're in this together." Azura replied.

"Thank you. We'll have to get their attention if we want to stop them from fighting." Corrin said.

Azura attempted to speak, but Felicia suddenly appeared out of the thick brush and trees behind the two, followed by Jakob.

"Lord Corrin! We've finally caught up to you! I'm sorry it took so long, but we've been searching for you nonstop ever since we were separated in the Bottomless Canyon." Felicia said.

"Who might this girl be, and would you mind telling us what's going on?" Jakob asked.

"This is Azura, a Nohrian princess kidnapped by the Hoshidans in retaliation for what happened to me shortly after being taken to Nohr. She's our ally, and I want you to treat her like you do with me. As for what's going on, I ended up in Hoshido after we became separated, where I met my birth family. Queen Mikoto died because of me, and Xander and Ryoma both tried to get me to join them, but I've chosen not to side with either one. So now, Azura and I are trying to come up with the best strategy to end the fighting, escape, and figure out what to do next." Corrin replied.

"You can't be serious! Two armies? What have you gotten yourself into, milord?" Felicia asked.

Jakob sighed.

"Well, I suppose it matters not. Your enemies are my enemies. I shall assist you, whatever your intentions." Jakob said.

"I have an idea. Why don't we attack the groups closest to us? If we defeat the leaders, Ryoma and Xander can't possibly ignore us." Azura said.

The others agreed and went with her suggestion. The battle wasn't a long one, as there were only three troops in the two nearest groups, one Hoshidian and the other Nohrian, to them. Azura suggested that they go for the leaders of the groups so the royal families would be deterred by their actions and would simply retreat, rather then sending out more fighters to capture or kill the four. Jakob and Azura's assumptions proved true, and after a short time, the fighting stopped. Unfortunately, both sides disowned them and seeked to capture them, so the four had to flee. Eventually, they came to stop in a small clearing.

"Whew. We managed to escape, but I'm sure their still on our trail. We can't leave things are they are now... we'll be branded as traitors by both kingdoms." Azura said.

Corrin remained silent.

"Listen to me. You'll lose everything if you don't choose a side. It's either Hoshido or Nohr." Azura said.

Corrin shook his head.

"No. There's a third option. I can choose not to support either side." Corrin said.

"But... how?" Azura asked.

"I have family in Hoshido. I also have family in Nohr. Even if I were to lose everything... even if all of them despise me... I can't choose to side with one against the other. I simply can't do that. I don't care if I lose everything. This is what I've decided." Corrin replied.

"I see... you have to be willing to risk a lot to accomplish something major... I suppose your right. My own mother lost her life protecting Nohr, but I don't think she regretted her choice. She died to protect the ones she loved. I'll still continue to follow you down the path you've chosen." Azura said.

"Azura... thank you." Corrin said.

She looked out at the sun, which was still relatively high in the sky, but was now beginning to dip down towards the horizon.

"So, what do we do now?" Azura asked.

"That's a good question. For now, let's go to town and find something to eat. Word will spread fast, but I think we'll be okay to go into town for now." Corrin replied.

"Milord, are you sure that this is the best course of action?" Felicia asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Of course, Felicia." Corrin replied.

He and the others made way through the branches and bushes that lined their path. The small group of four proceeded normally, only slightly slowed by wardrobe problems. Eventually, they reached another clearing, with a town visible in the distance, due to smoke that floated into the air and a tall spire that marked a place of worship. The only thing unusual, however, was something in the middle of the clearing. Two people were laying on the ground, seeming unconscious. Corrin rushed over to the two fallen figures.

"Jakob, Felicia, get your staffs and help me!" Corrin ordered.

He knelt over one of the figures, a cloaked person that hadn't as much as twitched at his loudness or presence at their side, along with the second figure, a white female in dark flier armor. Jakob expressed caution about the two being potential threats, but nonetheless, he and Felicia rushed over to the two. Azura followed, curious as to the identity of the two figures. After being healed, both figures groaned and sat up. The first figure's hood, which had been up, cast a shadow over their face, due to angle of the sun, which was almost in setting position and blocking everything above their mouth, making it impossible to determine their gender.

"Are you alright?" Corrin asked timidly, leaning towards the dazed figure.

Both figures slightly reeled back, as if from shock to see him, Azura, Felicia, and Jakob, but both kept their composure.

"I-I'm sorry?" the first figure asked, their voice revealing them to be male.

"Beg my pardon, sir, but you and your friend seem to have been lying in the middle of a field for no good reason, quite unconscious, within walking distance of both a battleground and a perfectly well running town, which is utterly stupid if you ask me!" Jakob replied angrily, cutting off Corrin before he could get a word in.

Both figures turned their heads to get better views of their surroundings.

"Oh. We're sorry about that. If you don't mind me asking, where are we? And what's the date?" the second figure asked.

"It's February 19th 2013, and your in the land of Hoshido." Azura replied quickly.

"Thank you, miss..." the second figure started to ask, dropping off to wait for a name.

"Azura. The man to my left is Jakob, the other female is Felicia, and my friend kneeling next to you is Corrin." Azura replied.

"Ah, thank you. My name is Iniabi. And this is my wife, Cynthia." the first figure introduced. He paused for a moment, frowned, and said "It's a pleasure to meet you.".

He and Cynthia stood up.

"Wait, you said we were in Hoshido and Nohr?" Cynthia asked.

She remembered hearing about the two nations, since they were myths in Ylisse, and since they had helped during the war against the Nightmare King. She wondered why Corrin, Azura, Felicia, and Jakob weren't recognizing her or Iniabi, since they had helped the two and the other heroes during the war.

"Yes, Hoshido and Nohr. What are you, amnesiacs?" Jakob asked, impatient with the other two, as they were delaying him, his liege, Felicia, and Azura.

"It appears so." Iniabi replied, a smile gracing his face, thinking the same thing as Cynthia had.

Jakob was left speechless at that, not knowing how to respond.

"Oh that's terrible! Well, how about you two come with us until you get your memories back? I'll explain everything to you once we get to the inn, okay?" Corrin asked, entering the conversation at last.

"Are you sure about that, Mr. Corrin? I don't think we have any money, so we can't pay you. We don't want to be a burden." Cynthia asked.

"It's fine, Cynthia. And just call me Corrin. Anyway, we better get going. The sun's going to set soon and I want to get to the inn before the evening crowd takes up all the rooms." Corrin replied.


	3. In Town, Part 1

**Chapter 3: In Town, Part 1**

"So, what would you like to eat, Iniabi and Cynthia? Personally, I think I could go for meat and greens." Corrin asked as he led the group through the town.

Jakob sighed at his Master's naivety.

"Lord Corrin, I ask that you don't speak so loudly. Out outfits are suspicious enough, and we don't need to draw anymore attention to ourselves. Remember, we're currently in Hoshido, which has been at war with Nohr for many years. Asking for Nohrian dishes won't improve our situations, so you'll have to refrain from ordering your usual favorites. However, if you truly wish, I can search for the ingredients and prepare the food myself." Jakob said.

Corrin frowned.

"Sorry about that, Jakob. I never really thought about it, since everything just kind of came to me back in the castle. I never had to worry about all the Hoshidan-Nohrian conflicts." Corrin said.

"The castle? So, your a prince, huh?" Iniabi asked.

"And Azura's a princess, right?" Cynthia asked.

"How did you both know that?" Azura asked, since she, Corrin, Felicia, and Jakob had never mentioned it.

"Your general demeanor. If Corrin is a prince like you just confirmed and his description of living in a castle, then you likely are royalty as well. You also seem accustomed to Jakob's mannerisms and personality more then the average person is, so it just makes sense." Iniabi replied.

"And you just... have a royal air about you." Cynthia added.

Of course, Iniabi and Cynthia both knew from what they and the other Fates characters told about their lives when they had helped during the war, but the two could still tell by studying them. They also tried not to give away the fact that they weren't amnesiacs, and actually knew and were related to royalty.

"Hmph. If that's what you say." Jakob said, not believing a thing the two had said.

* * *

After Jakob ordered ingredients for the group, they started making their way to the inn. Currently, they were in the farmer's market section, with every inch of sidewalk being taken up by stands that had fresh fruits and vegetables. Some Iniabi and Cynthia recognized, some they didn't. But as they were in a new land, that wasn't unexpected. Squash wasn't grown in Ylisse, and Plegia prided their squash harvests even more then their royal family sometimes. But they were also reminded of Agrabah, as they had visited there a few times before, and made comparisons to the two places. Cynthia turned to Jakob.

"Is Corrin always so naive?" Cynthia asked.

"Not always. He can be a bit naive and innocent, but it's probably just because of the freedom, as this is only the second time he's ever been in a town. Before this, Lord Corrin had been raised in a secluded fortress in which he was not allowed to leave. He's likely just trying to take advantage of the chance to interact with other people and run around without threats on his person or life." Jakob replied.

"Only the second time?" Cynthia asked.

"I ask that you refrain from asking anymore questions about Lord Corrin for the time being. For all we know, you and your spouse could be pawns of King Garon sent out to assassinate Corrin for his recent actions. I recognize your clothing as one of a Dark Flier, which is Nohrian, though I don't recognize your husband's clothing." Jakob replied.

Cynthia decided to remain quiet, as she realized that conversing with the snappy butler was like talking to a wall. They soon reached the inn, and Corrin managed to get them a three room suite that included a room with a queen-sized bed, one with two couches, and one with a kitchen. Jakob saw to preparing everyone dinner, while Iniabi, Cynthia, Corrin, Azura, and Felicia sat around a small table that was in front of one of the couches.

"So, would one of you like to give me and Cynthia a rundown of the situation?" Iniabi asked.

"Of course. I am Azura, a Nohrian princess kidnapped by Hoshidian ninja in retaliation for the Nohrian kidnapping of the Hoshidan prince Corrin. A little over a decade ago, Nohr invaded Hoshido, killed the King, and kidnapped Corrin, after centuries of tension between the two countries. Until recently, Queen Mikoto of Hoshido kept a barrier over the land in order to prevent invasions by Faceless, undead monsters summoned by Nohrian necromancers. Without Faceless to attack with, Nohr hasn't risked any major attacks on Hoshido. However, Corrin was recently allowed out of the castle for the first time. On a mission, he was captured by the Hoshidans and returned to the Hoshidian castle, where he greeted his mother and siblings for the first time since childhood. Unfortunately, it was all a trap by Garon, and the sword held by Corrin exploded, killing Mikoto, who had moved to protect Corrin, and effectively dissolving the barrier. With nothing blocking the Faceless, Nohr moved to attack Hoshido, trying to reclaim Corrin in the process. Eventually, it came down to the crown princes of each family pleading for Corrin to side with them. However, Corrin could not choose between his birth family and the family that raised him, and decided not to choose a side. That leads us to our current situation, where we are likely marked traitors by both nations." Azura replied.

"Thanks. I do have to ask, what's with the sword and pendant? And since you left out the lovely butler currently residing in the kitchen, I'm going to assume Jakob is just a very loyal servant from Corrin's days in Nohr that showed up sometime after he was kidnapped and decided he would follow him no matter what. I'm guessing that since you were in the same predicament as Corrin, only reversed, that's why you sided with him." Cynthia said, a smile appearing on her face.

"Excuse me?" Azura asked, not surprised at the white haired woman's mentioning of Yato, but impressed and a little suspicious at her recognition of the pendant.

"Well, Corrin's sword is certainly more ornate then an average blade. It's different, but your pendant has something strange about it too, so I couldn't help but be curious." Cynthia replied.

Azura wasn't satisfied with her response, but Corrin decided to speak.

"My sword is called Yato, a divine blade that resided in Hoshido until recently. It can only be wielded by one singular person, or at least a single person that's alive at one time, and is one of five total divine weapons. Two of the others remain in Hoshido, while two stay with Nohr. As for Azura's pendant... I've never noticed. Although it was glowing and floating when you calmed me down back in the square." Corrin said.

"When she calmed you down?" Iniabi asked.

"After Queen Mikoto... after Mother was killed, I kind of freaked out and turned into a dragon. I went on a rampage until Azura started singing. Water around us started to float, as did her pendant, and everything just suddenly seemed to slow and calm down. Transforming became possible and I turned back before I could do anymore damage. Azura then gave me a Dragonstone, and things worked themselves out." Corrin replied.

"Dinner is ready, everyone!" Jakob called out.

He came out with several steaming plates of delicious looking food, some of which Iniabi and Cynthia both recognized, and some of which they didn't.

"Thank you, Jakob." Corrin said.

"Thank you!" Azura said.

"Thanks for the meal." Felicia said.

"Your welcome, Lord Corrin, Lady Azura, and Felicia." Jakob said.

"Jakob..." Iniabi started to say.

"And you and Cynthia too, Iniabi." Jakob said.

"Good." Iniabi said.

With the last thanks out of the way, the group of six started eating their food. As much as Iniabi and Cynthia both hated to admit, Jakob's cooking didn't disappoint, and they were surprised that he appeared to be a personal butler, as he would have easily qualified for a castle cook back in both Ylisse and Plegia. When they were finished with their meals, Jakob took the group's dishes back to the kitchen to wash, leaving the others alone. Iniabi turned to Cynthia.

"Come on, it's still daylight. Why don't we go for a walk around town or something?" Iniabi asked.

Cynthia agreed with the idea, and she and Iniabi said goodbye to the others before leaving the inn and heading towards the town. As they walked, they saw the same vendors from before in the farmer's market, so they decided to go around and try multiple dishes. Afterwards, Cynthia noticed a musician letting people play a koto he was carrying, so she walked over and got permission to play it for everyone. Iniabi stood among the crowd, listening to the melody being played by his wife, as she had a talent for musical instruments, which was something the crowd also agreed with, indicated by the number of people that stopped what they were doing to listen to her play, and by the loud claps they were giving after she was done. Once Cynthia finished shaking the hands of the people, she made her back way to Iniabi. The two exchanged a hug and continued strolling through the town, admiring the last twilight hours.

"Sorry that I got sidetracked like that. I saw the musician was letting anyone play his instrument, and I got excited." Cynthia said.

"It's alright. It was nice to see you playing the koto so happily. The smile on your face makes it worth it." Iniabi said.

She blushed and held his hand lightly. Together, they admired the scenery as they walked. Everything blended together perfectly in harmony.

"I'm glad we could do this. It's been so long since we got to walk around like this." Cynthia said.

Iniabi agreed with her. Back in their world, they had been kept very busy with having to rule both Ylisse and Plegia, so they hadn't been able to spend as much time together as both of them would have expected. While Iniabi was constantly occupied with the duties of a monarch, Cynthia had the task of cleaning various messes that occurred all over both kingdoms. At times, she felt more like a maid rather then a proper monarch, as she cleaned up messes, only for another to be made five minutes later. Even at night, going to sleep was a job. Her mind ran so fast from the events of the day, she had to force herself to slow down so she could get the rest her body needed to continue working. It was only in the mornings, while her mind and body was still in the warm-up phase, that she was actually able to rest. Most mornings, she would just lie in bed and look back on what led them there, wondering at what point any major changes occurred in her life. Meanwhile, Iniabi was worried that Cynthia was overworking herself. They stopped at the middle of a bridge, looking at the flowing river beneath. There were fish of all kinds flowing around, swimming lively. Cynthia couldn't help but smile.

"There's so much natural beauty in Hoshido. It isn't anything like what it is in Plegia, where there is barely any vegetation, only desert." Iniabi said.

Cynthia turned to Iniabi.

"Hey, Iniabi?" Cynthia asked.

"What is it, Cynthia?" Iniabi asked.

"Why do you think Corrin, Azura, Felicia, and Jakob don't recognize us? And what were they talking about with the Hoshido and Nohr conflicts? Didn't they already happen?" Cynthia asked.

Iniabi thought it over.

"Well... my guess is, the vortex the Outrealm gate spawned sent us into the past, during the Hoshido and Nohr conflict. If that's true, then based on what's going on now and from what Corrin, Azura, Jakob, and Felicia told us and the others during the war against Anthony, Azura will lead them to the Bottomless Canyon and into you know where." Iniabi replied.

Cynthia realized he was talking about Valla, but she knew that she couldn't talk about it because of the curse, which wouldn't dissipate until after Anankos's defeat. She then had a troubling thought.

"Do you think the vortex was a prelude to an explosion?" Cynthia asked.

"I don't think so. The vortex was powering down just as I got pulled in." Iniabi replied.

Cynthia gave a huge sign of relief.

"Has the Outrealm Gate ever done anything like that before?" Cynthia asked.

"No, not in our lifetimes. And nowhere in the Ylissean or Plegian records, either." Iniabi replied.

Cynthia nodded and looked further down into the river, obviously contemplating.

"So, what do we do now? If your right, we could be stuck here for awhile, considering we have no means of communication." Cynthia asked.

"I think we should stay with Corrin and his group. They appear very knowledgeable about this world and time, while we don't really know a lot about here. It also goes without saying that more then half of them are skilled warriors as well. But are you sure you want to help? I don't want you getting hurt and dying without the others knowing about what happened to you." Iniabi asked.

"Yeah, I do. I want to protect the ones I care about. And I want to protect you, the person I care about most." Cynthia replied.

Iniabin felt a rush of emotions. He was happy at her courage, worried for her safety, and admired for her resolve and fiery spirit.

"Cynthia..." Iniabi started to say.

"Please, allow me to fight beside you and the others. That way, I can help you more directly and protect the ones I care about." Cynthia said.

Iniabi remained silent for a few moments.

"Alright, Cynthia, it'll be an honor to fight alongside you. I'll protect you too." Iniabi said.

They shared a tender moment at that bridge, discussing strategies about how to help Corrin and his group, and eventually, their future allies. However, after awhile, the sun had fully set and it was night. They decided to walk back to the inn together, hand in hand.


	4. In Town, Part 2

**Chapter 4: In Town, Part 2**

After Iniabi and Cynthia returned to the inn, the group discussed sleeping arrangements.

"Well, there are only three beds, if you count the couches, so that means two of us will have to share. It's probably best we split up in twos and share the same beds, and that Iniabi and Cynthia get the large bed, since they are married. Iniabi, do you want to share it with Cynthia, or do you want to bunk with either me or Jakob, while the girls take the other two beds?" Corrin asked.

"Well, I think Jakob might 'accidentally' skewer me in my sleep if me or Cynthia slept anywhere within five feet of him, so I think we'll be fine on the bed. But for now, you've had a long day and deserve the best rest possible. You can sleep on the couch furthest from my and Cynthia's room, so Jakob doesn't stay awake glaring at us all night." Iniabi replied.

Is that fine?" Cynthia asked.

Jakob frowned.

"That's... fine. Thank you." Jakob replied, suspicious of their actions. He then turned to Corrin and asked "Do you require anything before bed, Lord Corrin?".

"No, and stop with the Lord, Jakob. We're friends, aren't we?" Corrin asked.

"Of course." Jakob replied.

The group then dispersed to their respective places of rest, with Iniabi and Cynthia moving to the bed in the first room, Jakob and Felicia moving to the couch in the second room, and Corrin and Azura moving to the couch in the third room. Corrin, Azura, and Felicia fell asleep quickly, with their breaths evening out after just a few minutes. Meanwhile, Jakob took about half an hour, most of which he spent staring at both Iniabi and Cynthia, part of which he spent making sure Corrin was asleep, and the rest of which he actually tried to sleep.

Iniabi and Cynthia, however, were both awake the entire time. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't fall asleep, and the two weren't even tired. After three hours of laying down, they decided to get up and try to assess what they had on them. Their eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness, so they could see enough to take stock of their items. Surprisingly, their stock revealed that they had nothing. Aside from Falchion, Erebus, and Cynthia's lance, they had no elixirs, concoctions, or even vulnerary, which they knew they had before the mayhem at the Outrealm Gate. But they still had the same clothing they wore before getting sucked into the vortex, and Iniabi's Mark of Naga was still on his right hand, along with a Divine Brand he had on his left shoulder. But what was surprising, or rather alarming, was that he now had the Mark of Grima on his left ankle, glowing just slightly in the complete darkness, despite the fact that Robin (F) had killed Grima back in 2012 and Maleficent had killed the Fell Dragon again during the war. But besides that, Jakob had enough reason not to trust him or Cynthia, and the two figured a glowing sigil on his ankle and two marks on his right hand and left shoulder wouldn't help, so Cynthia stayed in bed, while Iniabi got up and headed for the door. It then occurred to him that Jakob was a light enough sleeper to wake at the sound of the door, and that disappearing in the night while his wife stayed behind was really suspicious, so Iniabi wrote a note explaining that he was going out to get some tea from a shop Corrin had pointed out on the way to the inn to help him sleep. It wasn't that great of an excuse, but it was what he had.

* * *

 _"Location: Fates Continent, the Nintendo Realm of the Dream World, February 20th 2013"_

Shortly after leaving his room and the inn, Iniabi found himself in front of a clothing store that was still open, despite being well past midnight and only a few hours away from sunrise. Inside was a girl of about 25 years who seemed as though she was struggling to stay awake

"Excuse me, miss, but do you sell gloves by any chance?" Iniabi asked, startling the woman fully awake and into an upright position.

He hoped he hadn't been too rude, but as he knew, he looked suspicious in his Tactician coat, which happened to be covered in strange symbols and markings.

"Oh, um... hello, sir. Yes, we do. What color would you like?" the girl asked warily.

She likely thought he was trying to cause trouble, or maybe that he was from Nohr, if the way Jakob spoke of their clothing was any indication. It was obvious that they didn't fit in with the local style.

"Black would be preferable, but what do you recommend?" Iniabi asked.

"We have black, but we also have a nice purple fabric that goes with the outfit you have on. If you want, I can make a pair with a base of black and some purple design to it." the girl replied.

She seemed a little less uncomfortable, but was still wary of the blue haired man before her.

"Okay, but that requires sizing. I don't want to take up your time." Iniabi said, wanting to just grab random gloves and leave before anyone woke up and noticed he was missing.

"No, I insist! I only have to measure one hand, and do a few alterations to some premade gloves." the girl said.

"Uh, sure, then. Here you go." Iniabi said.

He held out his right hand, and she got out a few strips of ribbon. She wrapped it around his fingers, palm, and wrist, and made a few markings before taking the strip to a worktable behind the counter, where she pulled out some fabric, not premade gloves as she had said, and got to work. A few times, she went back over to Iniabi and made some more measurements or wrapped something partway around his hand, but it wasn't as complicated as he thought. She must have been quite skilled, as it took much less time then the blue haired man thought it would. She used a fabric that looked like leather, but couldn't have been because it was a different texture, and in no time, she had a pair of gloves ready.

"Oh, thank y..." Iniabi started to say.

"Wait, I'm not done! I have to make two more!" the girl said.

"Two? I'm not sure I have the money to pay for two..." Iniabi started to say.

He stopped when he realized he probably didn't have money to even pay for one pair of gloves. He had some coins on him, but he didn't know if the currency was the same between Ylisse and Hoshido. It was a miracle that they and the Nohrians spoke the same language. Here, he had no idea how anything worked. He recognized what a shop looked like, the animals that were around, and some of the plants, but there was so much more he didn't. He would have to look around for a library or bookstore, but that was only after he confirmed he had valid money and enough to pay for the gloves, as well as a bunch of books. He and Cynthia would also have to buy bags, spare weapons, basic survival tools, a few concoctions, vulneraries, and health equipment.

"Here you go! Three beautiful pairs of gloves!" the girl exclaimed.

As she had just said, she held three pairs of good looking gloves in her hands.

"I thought you said you had two more to make." Iniabi said.

"Yes, two more pairs. I already told you that when you were spacing out. You see, I couldn't decide which design to make, so I made all three. Plain black gloves are an essential part of someone's wardrobe, so I made those. Then, I thought that even though they are essential, they are also a bit boring, so I lengthened the second pair to about elbow length and made them purple, to add a bit more color to your outfit, and added the design on your coat to the palms of the gloves. Then, I thought that purple with a black palm is better but still pretty boring, so I made this third pair. Their beautiful, aren't they?" the woman asked.

She handed the gloves to Iniabi. They truly were impressive to look at, and the fabric they were made of was impressive too. They seemed like they'd be comfortable, yet durable, which made Iniabi more worried that it would make the price soar up. Not only would it be hard to sell, as they were custom made so no one would want them, but one pair had the eyes of Grima (not in the form of the sigil on his ankle, but rather just a single eye as seen on his coat) on them, and he really didn't want to be distributing that to the public. It was fine for his style, but he didn't want more evidence of his lineage floating around if he could help it.

"Here, let me get out my wallet." Iniabi said.

He reached into his pocket to grab some of the coins he had. He dropped a few on the counter, before reaching into his pocket and dropping a few more as well. The saleswoman thanked him, grabbed the coins, and put his gloves in a bag. It had only taken about 150, which surprised him because since the gloves were of such high quality, he was worried they would be 150 each. Or, they were worth 150 Ylissean pieces, since he wasn't sure what the conversion was. They were unmarked golden pieces, so it wasn't as if they had someone in them that wouldn't exist in this place or time and thus be invalid, but he was still worried.

He thanked the woman, slipped on the black gloves, and walked around the town some more. When he finally noticed a building with books visible through the window, he went up to it, only to find that the building's doors were locked. He looked up at the moon and realized that the sun would be up soon, and since Jakob had left the curtains open, he would definitely be caught if he didn't go back right away. He had a problem with getting caught up in things and losing track of time, especially when it came to books, so he figured he was better safe then sorry. And the building was locked, so he couldn't have entered without breaking in, which he wasn't about to do. Soon, Iniabi found himself back in his room, completely unnoticed, and he noticed that Cynthia was finally asleep. He had placed the note in a way it would be blown away by the movement of Jakob's cover with a little piece of string over the underline that would have fallen into the dark carpet and stayed unnoticed and undisturbed, had Jakob woken up and put everything back in an attempt to trick the tactician king. But nothing was any different, so he knew he was safe. The innkeeper was asleep at the counter both when Iniabi left and when he came back, so he was safe in case Jakob tried to ask someone at the desk if he or Cynthia had done something either. All in all, it was a successful trip.

* * *

An hour later, Iniabi got up, stretched and stumbled as if he was still a bit sleepy but had woken up on his own, and made himself some of the coffee that came with the room. While waiting for the water to boil, Jakob woke up and looked straight at his only male companion.

"Good morning, Iniabi. What are you doing up so early? And what are you making?" Jakob asked, his eyes partially squinted.

"I woke up just a few minutes ago, when the sun started reflecting off the mirror and into my eyes. And I'm just making some coffee. I wasn't sure when you or the others would be waking up, so I've put enough only for myself to boil, since I didn't want it to get cold while you five slept. I can boil some more once I finish mine if you want." Iniabi replied.

"No, no, I'll take care of that, thank you very much. But would it be alright if I intercepted that water and made tea for Lord Corrin with it? He's had a very trying experience the last few days." Jakob asked.

"I guess so, but wouldn't you rather have it so he gets some more sleep and rest, rather then having him wake up now for a drink he can just get later and is tired for the rest of the day? If we are going anywhere, then we need to be in the best shape possible, and getting a good night's rest after a stressful event is an essential part of any traveler's life." Iniabi replied.

Jakob frowned, and saw to making his bed and sitting down with an annoyed expression until around 8, when Azura came out of her room. She said good morning to the two men in front of her, sat at the table, and simply watched the clouds pass by outside the window with a thoughtful expression on her face. Jakob finally made some tea, and then went to wake Corrin. He, Felicia, and Cynthia joined them a little later. They didn't speak much, and a few minutes later, the group of six left the inn.


	5. Unspeakable World

**Chapter 5: Unspeakable World**

After leaving the inn, Iniabi announced he was going to the bookstore, while acting as if the thought had suddenly occurred to him. He made up the story that he and Cynthia didn't really remember anything about Hoshido, Nohr, or anywhere else, so he thought he'd go to the bookstore and buy a few books for the two on the history of the countries, the geography of the surrounding area, and things like that. Azura then said that as the two didn't appear to be from Hoshido, it could possibly be difficult in getting good service and asked if they had money so she could tell them how many books they would be able to buy and how much they were. Iniabi showed Azura what he had left, and she basically explained he had a lot of money. Iniabi thanked her, before he, Cynthia, and Jakob headed over to the bookstore, while Corrin, Azura, and Felicia decided to roam around the town. A little while later, they regrouped, with Iniabi and Cynthia having gotten a giant bag full of texts of all kinds, including tomes, since the store sold them. They then left the town.

* * *

After meeting up with a female dragon named Lilith nearby the town and making a quick stop in Corrin's private castle, which he called Castle Dusk, in a separate realm called the Astral Plane, Corrin decided to have the group lay low for the time being. Azura said she knew a place where they would be safe and led the group to their next destination, which was the Bottomless Canyon. It took them about half the day to cover the distance, but they eventually reached the canyon. As usual, the canyon was surrounded by mountains that had little plant life, and was rocky and barren, with dry lightning striking everywhere. They finally stopped at a bridge situated near the center of the canyon. Cynthia stepped towards the rickety wooden bridge that spanned the canyon.

"It's here, isn't it, Azura?" Cynthia asked, staring down at the slice of darkness.

Azura came to stand beside the white haired girl.

"I beg your pardon? What are you talking about?" Azura asked.

Cynthia raised her eyes and met Azura's.

"Aren't you not supposed to talk about it?" Cynthia asked.

The way Azura's eyes widened told Cynthia she was right.

"I'm not sure I follow. The Bottomless Canyon lies before us." Jakob said.

Corrin nodded, and his eyes fell to the bridge as thunder crashed above.

"This is where we lost Gunter." Corrin said. He looked around, wondering where they were suppose to hide, and asked "You mean for us to hide out here?".

"That's exactly what I mean. We'll jump into the canyon." Azura replied.

"Wait just a minute! If we jump from here, we'll all die. No one will ever find us, that's for sure... but we'll be ghosts!" Jakob said loudly.

Felicia nodded.

"I know we need to keep a low profile, but I don't think death is a great hiding place!" Felicia said.

"Don't worry. You won't die if you jump." Azura said.

The two retainers looked at her as if she was crazy.

"You have to trust me." Azura addd, as she saw the strange looks the retainers were giving her.

Corrin looked down into the canyon.

"Azura... you'll tell us more of what you know after we jump into the canyon, right?" Corrin asked.

Azura nodded.

"Yes, if that's what you wish." Azura replied.

Corrin said nothing for a moment, before a smile appeared on his face.

"Then we have no choice." Corrin said.

"Fine with me, I guess. Are you sure we won't die?" Iniabi asked, acting as if he didn't know Valla was below the Bottomless Canyon.

Azura nodded in response.

"Okay, then I believe you." Iniabi said.

Felicia turned to Corrin.

"Ahhhh... are you really serious about this, milord?" Felicia asked.

"Yes. Everything will be fine. I trust Azura." Corrin replied.

"Besides, it's not like we have any other choice. We could always turn ourselves in, but I don't think any of us wants to do that." Cynthia added.

"Thank you, Corrin, Iniabi, and Cynthia. I'll go first and wait for you to follow." Azura said.

"Alright. I'll be right behind you." Corrin said.

"So will I." Iniabi added.

"Me too." Cynthia added.

The three followed. Both retainers stayed silent and followed the four, who started walking to the center of the bridge. Once in the center, Azura walked towards the edge of the bridge. Felicia sighed.

"If he's going in, then I guess I must follow. This is incredibly scary, but here goes!" Felicia said.

"Yes. If Lord Corrin is going, then I'll need to find the courage. I would give up my life if my lord commanded, after all. It should be an easy thing to follow him anywhere." Jakob said.

Back on the center of the bridge, Azura was on the outer side of rope of the bridge, holding the rope with one of her hands. She took a quick look at Iniabi, Cynthia, and Corrin, before pushing herself off the bridge and letting go of the rope. The other three ran to the edge as well, looked down, then at each other, and jumped into the canyon. While falling, Azura looked back and nodded at both of them, before they were swallowed by the darkness. Meanwhile, Jakob and Felicia looked down into the canyon and jumped a moment later.

* * *

When Cynthia woke up, she felt the cool touch of grass beneath her fingers. She opened her eyes and looked around to see she was in a field, which was to a sideways land formation, and revealed multiple floating islands, some inverted and others sideways. Ruins of stones littered the islands, resembling skeletons of old buildings. Cynthia sat up and felt the world sway beneath her. She groaned and cupped her head in her hand, before standing.

"Are you alright, Cynthia?" Azura asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've seen better days, but I'll be okay." Cynthia replied.

Just then, Iniabi got to his feet, albeit a bit shakily. Corrin remained laying on his back with his eyes closed, along with Jakob and Felicia.

"Iniabi, are you alright?" Cynthia asked.

Iniabi gave his wife a small smile and nodded.

"I'm fine, of course. I'm relieved to see your unharmed as well." Inabi replied.

Cynthia looked down at Corrin, Felicia, and Jakob.

"That was quite a drop. I'm glad everyone's alright." Cynthia said. She then surveyed their surroundings and said "This is it.".

"Yes. This is it. Valla." Iniabi said.

Azura narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly, unsure of what to say or ask, since they claimed they were amnesics yet seemed to know they were Valla.

"You don't mind if I wait until the others wake to explain our situation, do you?" Azura asked.

Iniabi pulled out a book.

"Not at all. I'll just read for a bit, since we have all of our things." Iniabi replied.

He sat down with Cynthia and started reading the book with her. It was on the geography of the continent to which Hoshido and Nohr belonged to, which the book called Drage. The continent of Drage was split into two halves, divided by the mountains of the Infinite Chasm, where the Bottomless Canyon was. It had eight, or rather seven, main kingdoms. Hoshido, Kohga, Izumo, and Mokushu were located to the east of the canyon, Nohr and Nestra were located to the west, a place called Notre Sagesse was located on an island chain to the south of the Infinite Chasm, and Valla wasn't even mentioned. There also happened to be a few main tribes. The Flame, Wind, and Kitsune tribe were all located in Hoshido's side, and the Ice and Wolfskin were located in Nohr. The book then went into much better detail on the geography of each land, as well as the climate. It was extremely specific, which the two truly appreciated. Unfortunately, they'd have to go over it later, as the others were beginning to stir. Corrin pushed himself up so he could sit down and looked up to see the broken sky.

"Ugh." Corrin muttered. He looked around at the field and asked "Is this... the bottom of the canyon? That was a heck of a jump, but nothing seems to be broken.".

His limbs were a little sore, but none of them were in terrible pain. Azura smiled.

"Thank goodness. I said you'd be all right, didn't I?" Azura asked.

"Yeah, you did." Corrin replied. He looked over to Felicia and Jakob, who were laying on their backs, and asked "Are they going to be alright?".

Azura took a few steps towards them.

"Yes. They should wake up in a few moments." Azura replied.

Corrin let out a breath of relief.

"That's go to hear." Corrin said.

Before long, they heard low noises of discomfort coming Felicia and Jakob.

"Felicia, are you alright?" Azura asked.

The pink haired maid got to her feet and placed her hand on her stomach.

"I-I'm fine. Just... I'll be okay." Felicia replied.

Azura turned her attention to Jakob.

"Jakob, how do you feel?" Azura asked.

Jakob got up before replying.

"I'm fine, of course. I'm relieved to see Lord Corrin is unhurt as well." Jakob replied.

Corrin fixated his eyes on the broken skies.

"So... where are we? This place looks like it's definitely seen better days." Corrin asked.

Azura paused for a moment. Her eyes drifted to their surroundings.

"This is the kingdom of Valla. We are no longer in Nohr, but we are not in Hoshido either. It is a land separate from both. Ever near, but hidden to all." Azura replied.

"A hidden land." Iniabi whispered as he continued to look around.

Azura took a moment before speaking again.

"This land is also responsible for the war between Hoshido and Nohr." Azura said.

"Responsible? How?" Corrin asked.

He followed Azura's gaze and looked at their surroundings. All he could see were twisted islands and a fractured sky, belonging to the ruins of a kingdom lost to time. Azura's expression clouded into urgency as she looked around.

"Follow me, all of you. If we linger here, we'll be spotted." Azura ordered.

"Spotted? Isn't this place suppose to be deserted?" Jakob asked.

"Not exactly." Azura replied.

"What do you mean?" Jakob asked.

When she didn't reply, the Nohrian butler got a bit anxious.

"Azura?" Jakob asked.

"We might be spotted by invisible soldiers. Now please, follow me." Azura replied.

She took off towards a vertical rise of land that had a dark expanse of a cave nearby, the others following behind her. Azura ushered them into the cave, and soon, they had crept through enough so that the tunnel opened up into a larger body where they could stand freely. Once they got into the larger body of the cave, they noticed it had a few stalagmites and stalactites. There was little lighting as well, the only source was from the entrance of the cave and also from a few silk nests on the ceiling from glowworms. There was no sign of water in the cave either, but there was a little plant life.

"We should be safe here." Azura said, keeping her voice just above a whisper.

She checked her surroundings before turning back to the others.

"As I was saying before... the throne of Valla is occupied by King Anankos. Before his arrival, this land was a peaceful one. All was well until Anankos killed our king and took the throne for himself. Once bountiful farmlands were devastated, replaced by wastelands and graveyards." Azura explained.

"He destroyed an entire kingdom? For no reason at all?" Corrin asked in shock.

"Yes, and he isn't finished." Azura replied.

"You mean..." Iniabi started to ask.

Azura nodded.

"He wishes to lay waste to the entire world. First Valla, then Nohr and Hoshido. Even now, he's the hidden influence that quietly forces Nohr and Hoshido to fight. King Garon's invasion is the result of Anankos's subtle manipulations." Azura replied.

"That's horrible!" Iniabi said.

"And those were the soldiers you mentioned before, I'm guessing?" Cynthia asked.

Azura replied with a nod of her head.

"But... if it's true, then maybe we can stop this war by defeating Anankos! We need to get back up above and explain this to everyone! If we can get Nohr and Hoshido to work together with..." Corrin started to say.

"I'm sorry, but you can't. You mustn't talk about Valla to anyone when your beyond its borders. If you do, you'll trigger a curse that will cause your body to dissolve and disappear." Azura said. Her voice was stern and convincing enough to know that she wasn't lying or joking, and she said "That's what happened to my mother... to Arete, the former queen of Valla.".

"What? Your mother was a queen in Valla, not Nohr?" Corrin asked. A sudden realization hit him, and he started to say "Then, that makes you...".

Azura nodded.

"Yes... I am a Vallite princess. The king that Anankos murdered... was my father." Azura said.

"And you were forced to flee?" Iniabi asked.

"Yes... but I wasn't able to tell anyone about this before. Because of that curse... even if I wanted to talk, I couldn't. I was trapped... no matter how much I missed my parents. I had to keep it all bottled up inside... until now." Azura replied.

"Azura..." Corrin started to say.

"Listen, Corrin. I'm sorry to say this, but... now that you've chosen this path, you'll know exactly what I've been feeling. No matter how much you want someone to understand what's happening... no matter how much you want to tell them the truth... you won't be able to tell them. You need to prepare yourself for that. I can't even express how painful it is to know the truth and not be able to say it." Azura explained.

"Alright. I understand." Corrin said.

Azura smiled. Meanwhile, Cynthia was curious as to how the curse exactly worked, as no one had explained why during the war.

"Wait, what about writing everything down? Would writing it down trigger the curse? Since it's really only activated when someone speaks of Valla, writing isn't speaking and would be a pretty good loophole, wouldn't it? How does it work, anyway? What brings down the curse? Does Anankos not want anyone to know about the land other then those who inhabit it, or is Valla actually a word with some sort of runic meaning that activates a spell of death? And if that's the case, how do they know Valla has been mentioned if it's done in a different plane of reality? Also..." Cynthia started to ask.

She stopped when she and the others heard a sound that resembled movement deeper into the cave.

"What was that?" Cynthia asked.

She gripped her lance and moved to the source of where she thought the sound came from. Everyone fell silent and got ready to draw out their weapons. They waited another moment and heard more movement throughout the cave.

"There are enemies approaching... a rather large number of enemies. Corrin, we'll need to deal with this threat before we can continue." Azura said.

"Okay." Corrin said.

"Tread carefully. Our enemies may use the shadows to ambush us." Azura said.

Soon, three figures entered the group's vision. They seemed to flicker in and out of visibility, always partially visible by glowing purple outlines, in the form of fully opaque humans.

"W-What in Naga's name are those?" Cynthia asked.

Watching the men flicker in and out of view was making a headache kick in. She and Iniabi had seen plenty of Risen before, but these were on an entirely new level of "not right". Risen made sense, as animating dead bodies was possible, but these things shouldn't have been possible. And since Anankos was eventually defeated and wasn't revived with the other villains by Jubilee or the Nightmare King, they didn't come across these soldiers during the war.

"Those are Vallite soldiers, animated by Anankos to eliminate all those in his way. I thought we'd be able to escape them by coming in here, but I guess I was wrong. Can you and Iniabi fight, Cynthia?" Azura asked, her eyes locked on the figures without so much as glancing at the two.

The two nodded, and Cynthia held up her lance, while Iniabi unsheathed Falchion and Erebus.

"So, does anybody know how to handle this? Because I'm sure our enemies know this place much better that we do. And even with the light of the glowworms nest, it'll still be hard to fight, especially when determining friend from foe." Corrin asked, looking at the darkness of one of the tunnels.

"We should probably stick together for the time being, in case we're outnumbered in a certain area." Iniabi replied.

"We won't be able to do anything for lighting though, so be careful at where you aim." Azura added.

Cynthia looked at the ground and noticed sandstones, which could make fire if two were clashed together, but also meant they'd be dealing with fire and would have a light span of only ten minutes. She told the others, and they agreed to have her use the sandstones to light fire for them to see. Cynthia carefully walked to one of the tunnels, with Jakob behind her. She struck two of them rocks together with as much strength as she could and threw one of the rocks, which caught fire. The flamed rock landed on a small path of grass, and as a result, they were now able to see some more invisible soldiers: an Adventurer, a Cavalier, and a Fighter. Cynthia was a little freaked out by it and forgot to draw her lance. Having been spotted, the Adventurer attempted to shoot an arrow at Cynthia, but the attack was intercepted by one of Jakob's daggers. Cynthia snapped out of her daze, quickly pulled out her lance, and landed a finishing blow. What she found curious was that once defeated, the invisible soldier dissolved into a pinkish-purplish fire. But she couldn't think about it for too long, since there were still more soldiers to be dealt with. Iniabi, Corrin, Azura, and Felicia didn't waste anytime and started to fight as well. While rushing to Cynthia and Jakob's side, the Fighter ran over to Corrin and delivered a blow to his chest. The dragonic prince winced in pain, but was able to brush it off and struck him back with Yato.

"Corrin!" Azura cried when he was struck.

Corrin looked at the Songstress for a short second.

"I'm fine." Corrin said reassuringly. He then turned to Felicia and shouted "Felicia!".

The maid nodded, knowing it was time to help him.

"Right." Felicia said.

The two worked together to defeat the Fighter, with Felicia landing a mid-range attack with one of her her daggers and Corrin landing the final blow. Azura helped by singing for them, which encouraged them to keep fighting. After killing off the three soldiers, Felicia quickly healed her liege. Once that was done, Cynthia withdrew her lance and picked up another two sandstones. The process of lighting the rocks, fighting, and healing was the same for awhile, and along the way, they were able to pick up some weapons and items from chests. Making sure to explore all paths, despite having to backtrack on a few occasions, the group progressed through the cave faster then Azura had anticipated. As they got pretty far into the cave, Cynthia struck two more sandstones together and threw the one that caught fire into the tunnel. The rock landed on a patch of grass, but instead of revealing invisible soldiers, they saw something solid moving. The solid figure was a knight that looked like he was in his late 60s and was backing away from the little fire. As the man backed up, Corrin jerked forward slightly and let out a little grunt.

"What the... is there something wrong with my eyes? Could that knight be..." Corrin started to ask.

The knight thought he heard a voice and turned around.

"Lord Corrin!" the knight exclaimed.

Corrin was overjoyed to see him.

"Gunter! Is that really you? And your alive?" Corrin asked.

The man, who was named Gunter, was wearing full body armor and appeared to be in great health and fitness for someone his age. Iniabi had to admit, it honestly crept him out a little.

"I am. I lost consciousness as I fell, and when I awoke, I was here. I have no idea how I survived such a fall... but I swear on my blade, I'm no ghost. My arms and legs are as sturdy as ever." Gunter replied.

"It's good to see you in one piece, Gunter. I'm so glad we found you." Corrin said.

Gunter smiled and turned his attention to the tunnel on his left. The tunnel was different then the other ones, as it was full of glowworms nest, had more vegetation, and lit up the entire tunnel.

"I would love to celebrate, milord, but it appears we don't have time right now." Gunter said.

Corrin looked down the tunnel.

"I'll help you fend them off!" Corrin said.

* * *

The group took down the last group near the end of the tunnel, with Corrin taking out the leader, a Bersker, with the Dragon Fang move. Once the enemies were taken care of, Corrin turned to Gunter.

"I's so good to see you safe and sound, Gunter!".

Gunter let out a chuckle.

"I'm glad to see you too, Lord Corrin. After I fell, I truly thought I'd never see your face again. It seems you've grown stronger while we've been apart, as well." Gunter said.

Felicia smiled as well.

"Yes. It is good to see you safe, Gunter." Felicia said.

"Felicia. I see you've done a good job protecting our master." Gunter said.

Jakob huffed.

"So, you aren't dead, old man. Can you give me back the time I wasted grieving over your demise?" Jakob asked.

Gunter gave the butler a black look.

"Hmph... you haven't changed. It wouldn't hurt for you to be kinder. But anyway, why are you all here?" Gunter asked.

"I brought them." Azura replied.

Gunter's eyes leveled on her.

"And who are you?" Gunter asked. He then gestured to Iniabi and Cynthia and asked "And who are these two?".

He led his horse closer to the three.

"My name is Azura." Azura replied. She took a minute to think about her next words and asked "If I said I was the princess kidnapped from Nohr as a child... would you understand?".

Gunter's eyes widened in recognition.

"Ah! Yes, I remember when you were little. I apologize for my failure to protect you from your Hoshidan kidnappers." Gunter replied.

Azura shook her head with a smile.

"There's no need to apologize, really. It doesn't matter at the moment. I'd rather learn how you've survived here. You are quite the knight to have avoided meeting a terrible fate." Azura said.

"And these are Iniabi and Cynthia. We found them unconscious in a field. Both of them are amnesiacs, but from the short time we've known them, Iniabi has shown himself to be a great tactician." Corrin introduced.

Iniabi gave a tilt of his head, while Cynthia waved her hand slightly at Gunter, who was confused at Corrin's explanation. He had basically described finding two random people and spontaneously making one of them the head of his small six person army. He then looked around the cave, and then back at Azura.

"You seem familiar with this place, Lady Azura. Where are we, exactly?" Gunter asked.

"This is Valla, an invisible kingdom tied to the world by the Bottomless Canyon. It is ruled by Anankos, who wishes to destroy the entire world. So long as he remains in the Vallite throne, the world will not know peace." Azura replied.

Jakob folded his arms.

"Yes. Now listen up, gramps. I'm only going to warn you once. If you talk about any of this while not in Valla, a curse will dissolve you!" Jakob said.

Gunter frowned in disbelief.

"What? is that possible?" Gunter asked.

Corrin wished it wasn't true himself. It would make everything a whole lot easier.

"It seems so. Also, I've... made enemies of both Hoshido and Nohr, Gunter. I couldn't bring myself to side against either of them, so both turned on me. Whenever we meet next, it will be a difficult fight. Will you stand with me?" Gunter asked.

Gunter was still in disbelief, but reminded himself that if it wasn't for his liege's decision, he would have most likely never seen him again or get out of Valla.

"Of course, Lord Corrin. I shall always remain at your side." Gunter replied.

"Thank you, Gunter." Corrin said.

Gunter nodded.

"I feel like I must be in a dream, surviving being attacked and falling so far... though I have to admit, Hans was a disappointment. He barely left a scratch." Gunter said.

Corrin was reminded by something at the sound of the insane Berserker.

"Ah, that reminds me: Hans said something strange. He claimed he was following King Garon's orders by attacking you." Corrin said.

"I'm embarrassed to admit this, but... King Garon despises me." Gunter said.

"Despises you? Why?'" Corrin asked.

Gunter sighed.

"After being honored for valor in battle, I was granted an audience with King Garon. He offered me dragon's blood. Accepting would require absolute loyalty to the king. It would have meant becoming his most trusted retainer, the highest of positions. However, it also would have meant leaving my homeland, my wife, and my child. I turned him down. I wanted to live a normal life. I begged for his understanding. I will never forget his resentment... his rage." Gunter replied.

"I didn't know." Corrin said.

Iniabi felt the same. If he had been hunted down, Cynthia and his children's, who he knew would eventually be Marth and Sayvra, safety would be his top priority. A silence fell upon the group, but after a few seconds, there was the sound of teleportation. All of them turned to the source of the sound, and what they saw was a Valllite woman, along with two other soldiers. However, all of them were so faded that their classes were impossible to identify, as well as their gender. They only figured out the Vallite woman's gender when she spoke to them. While Corrin, Azura, Felicia, Jakob, and Gunter only knew that she had to be the group's leader, Iniabi and Cynthia realized she was Arete, since Azura had told them about what happened when they all met during the war.

"Leave now... you should not be here." Arete said.

Iniabi was a little surprised. Out of all the Vallites they had fought, she was the only one that spoke. Corrin grabbed Yato and drew it.

"What the... who are you?" Corrin asked.

"I am a mage of Valla." Arete replied simply. She quickly lost her patience after a few short seconds and ordered "You were warned. Vallite warriors, eliminate them.".

The two by her side drew their weapons, their eyes flashing in the darkness. Arete then looked over and pointed at Iniabi.

"Begone, Fell Blood! This is our world!" Arete ordered.

Corrin turned to Iniabi.

"Iniabi, what is she talking about?" Corrin asked.

"I'll explain later." Iniabi replied.

Azura turned to the direction of the cave's exit.

"This is bad... I don't think we're strong enough to defeat them." Azura said.

Cynthia scowled slightly as she thought the 'any' contained in Azura's sentence was specifically aimed at her.

"Let's retreat to the other world!" Azura ordered urgently.

None of them were in a position to argue and quickly fled faster then the Villites could run.

"Lord Anankos will want to hear about this." Arete said.

She left with the other two invisible soldiers.

* * *

After getting out of the cave, the group started to walk in a certain area that was near a large chasm. Upon looking down into the chasm, it looked like an intense fog was settled there, and like the Bottomless Canyon, it seem to have no end.

"Listen carefully. This place leads to the Bottomless Canyon in the other world. If we jump here, we can return to the world from whence we came." Azura said.

Corrin took a step closer to the edge of the chasm.

"Wow, so this is how you go back and forth between worlds. Amazing." Corrin said.

Azura was a little confused.

"Hm?" Azura asked. She was then reminded that none of them had been there before, and said "Oh no, it's actually not. I always travel through water.".

"Oh. Then why don't we just go back the same way we came?" Corrin asked.

"We can't. You and I are the only ones who can use water to travel between worlds. This is the only way to bring Iniabi, Cynthia, Gunter, Felicia, and Jakob back with us." Azura replied.

"Just the two of us can travel through water? But why? Why us?" Corrin asked.

"That's... I'm sorry, but that's not something I can talk about right now. We need to get back to the other world now, before those Vallites try and attack again." Azura replied.

Before anyone could say another word, Azura jumped into the chasm.

"Huh? Azura? Wow! She didn't even hesitate." Corrin said.

"She really is fearless." Cynthia said.

Gunter walked over to them.

"Then let us show the same strength of will. I've got your back, milord." Gunter said.

"So, um... basically... your saying you want me to jump first?" Corrin asked.

"Seems that way. I should be the same as jumping of the Bottomless Canyon... well, maybe." Cynthia replied.

"Well, why don't you jump first instead? Ladies first, right?" Corrin asked.

"Fine. But your jumping with me." Cynthia replied.

Corrin agreed. The two walked over to the edge and jumped a few seconds later.

"I suppose I should go next." Gunter said.

He tried to get his horse to move closer to the edge. However, the stallion resisted and tried to get away from where Gunter wanted him to go. Since the animal was stronger, the old knight had a lot of trouble. But eventually, he managed to get his steed to go a little closer, and he, Jakob, Iniabi, and Felicia all jumped down.

* * *

Back at the Bottomless Canyon, Corrin, Azura, and Cynthia had just gotten to their feet and were now waiting for the others to join them. Corrin smiled when the others got up.

"Phew... it looks like we've made it back." Corrin said.

He went over and helped Gunter's horse stand up before it collapsed under it's own weight.

"Who was that woman down there? She said she was a mage." Corrin asked.

As he tried to figure it out, Azura started speaking.

"When dawn turns to dusk. When dusk turns to dawn. Then the door will spawn." Azura replied.

"Huh? Is that a poem, Azura?" Iniabi asked.

"My mother... she said those words to me a long time ago. She said that when dawn turns to dusk, and dusk turns to dawn... the pass in the Bottomless Canyon opens or closes." Azura replied.

Gunter thought about it for a moment, before something struck him.

"When the dawn turns... hmm... oh, I get it. Once every few decades, the skies above Nohr and Hoshido will reverse. If I remember right, that should happen fairly soon." Gunter said.

Azura nodded.

"Yes. I'm sure that's the sign that the pass down there has opened or closed. Since we're obviously able to travel there now, it will close next time. Once it closes, it will stay that way for decades. We won't be able to get there... we don't have much time." Azura said.

"I see. Then, we'll need both kingdoms to stop fighting each other and help us. If we had Xander and Ryoma, there's no way we'd lose." Corrin said.

"But how can we convince them? We can't tell them the truth!" Azura asked.

"We'll just have to find another way." Corrin replied.

Iniabi nodded.

"It's the only chance we have. Now that we know there's a common enemy for both countries to fight, I think we can save Nohr and Hoshido." Iniabi said

Corrin nodded.

"Right. All I can do is believe in myself and try to convince others to join us." Corrin said.

Azura was amazed at their optimism.

"Corrin... Iniabi... I suppose your right. I felt so powerless on my own, but together, we might be able to pull something off! Nothing will change if we stay here. Let's return to Hoshido first. I feel like they might be more willing to listen to us." Azura said.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Here's Corrin's Castle Address (be aware of spoilers if you visit): 01943-54591-83799-11750._


	6. Reminiscence

**Chapter 6: Reminiscence**

In the time they had been in Valla, time had passed and night had fallen, so Corrin and his group returned to the Astral Plane for the night. Lilith was there to greet them. Corrin introduced her to Gunter, as he had never seen her like that before, and used Dragon Vains to spawn new buildings for the group to use throughout the castle. As he did so, everyone split up to explore the fortress. Cynthia sat at the base of a set of steps towards the back of the castle and stared out across the courtyard, which had a set of inner walls. Over by a small shrine Lilith stayed in, Iniabi took a moment to look around.

"Lilith, are there any other food sources besides that peach tree?" Iniabi asked.

The Astral Dragon nodded and shifted her body in the direction of a small river.

"There are fish living in that river." Lilith explained.

"Great. Thanks." Iniabi said. He turned to Felicia and Azura, who were close by, and asked "Azura, Felicia, do you mind helping me gather some peaches?".

"Sure." Felicia replied.

Azura simply nodded.

* * *

Later, Cynthia decided to pass the time training with her lance in an Arena Corrin had formed, which they were using as a training ground. She drove her lance forward, sinking it deep into the straw dummy in front of her where a person's heart would have been and nodded in satisfaction. She pulled the lance out, grunting slightly with effort, and assumed her combat stance again, while lost in her thoughts.

 _"Wouldn't you love to see this, mother?"_ Cynthia wondered.

The thought of Sumia gave Cynthia a brief mix of sorrow and irritation. She had loved her mother dearly and admired her a great deal. She walked away from the dummy until she was a few paces beyond the usual throwing distance, thinking to herself as she went.

 _"I should have been there for her! I should have been out in Richmond, instead of at the castle with Robin and other Robin. I was a coward!"_ Cynthia thought.

She turned about and hurled the lance in one smooth motion. However, her throw was off, and the lance bounced harmlessly off. Cynthia growled in annoyance and went to retrieve it.

 _"Still, I guess I was needed at the line with Robin, other Robin, and Timothy. And Marth tried as hard as he could to help mother. It wasn't his fault."_ Cynthia thought.

As she bent to pick up the lance, she closed her eyes tightly.

 _"Mother was the bravest woman I know. Much braver then I am."_ Cynthia thought.

She rammed her lance into the dummy with much more force then was necessary, and felt a solid thunk as it's point bit into the wooden core the straw was lashed around. She attempted to tug the lance free, but was unsuccessful, as the lance was firmly planted into the dummy. She frowned and tugged again, this time harder, but it was no use. She spat on her gloves to get a better grip, set her feet firmly down, leaned back, and pulled with all her strength. Nothing happened for a few seconds, before the lance slipped free quite abruptly with a loud splintering sound. The girl was unprepared, and she lost her balance and fell back onto the ground.

"Ow!" Cynthia cried.

She shook her head and stood up.

"Cynthia?" a voice asked.

The white haired girl turned to see Azura, standing from the other side of the Arena. Cynthia blushed slightly, hoping that the other female hadn't witnessed what had just happened.

"Uh, hey, Azura." Cynthia greeted, trying to dust herself off as nonchalantly as she could.

Azura walked over to her.

"I didn't think you'd be here training." Azura said.

"Well, I have to make sure that I get stronger and be the best fighter I can be. We have a big task to complete, after all." Cynthia said.

Azura nodded.

"Well, anyway, everyone just finished up in the Hot Spring. We're going to head off to eat pretty soon, but I thought you wouldn't like it if you got left behind." Azura said.

"Thanks for the thought, but you don't have to wait for me. I still need to take a bath, and I can find food on my own." Cynthia said.

"Are you sure? We'll wait for you." Azura asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm probably going to be in the bath for awhile and I don't want you to get hungry." Cynthia replied.

"Well, okay then. See you later, Cynthia." Azura said.

She then left, heading away to join the rest of the group for dinner. Cynthia made her way to the room she and Iniabi would be sharing in a set of barracks that had been formed and hung her lance up on a rack. That done, she headed to the Hot Spring.

 _"A nice long soak will do me good."_ Cynthia thought.

* * *

The Hot Spring's outer hallway was empty. Cynthia quickly stripped off her armor and clothing, leaving it in a heap on the floor. After grabbing a clean towel from the rack, she headed into a set of baths separate from the main pool, used for bathing instead of relaxation. She washed hastily, wanting to get the dirt and grime of the day off as soon as possible. After a few rinses, she judged herself clean enough to leave the washroom. She got into swim gear to wear while in the main pool and then headed for it. Once there, she sunk into the warm water with a sigh of contentment, immersing herself almost completely. With only her face above the water, Cynthia stared up at the ceiling, thinking back again to all the past events leading up to the present.

 _"Why did Anthony have to break free and almost destroy all the worlds? Why couldn't he have just stayed in his precious little void? And why couldn't I have been brave enough during the battle in Richmond?"_ Cynthia wondered.

The sound of footsteps came from the entrance to the washroom, and Cynthia frowned.

 _"I thought that everyone else had left."_ Cynthia thought.

She turned her head to call out the door.

"Azura, I told you that you could go on without... me." Cynthia said.

Her voice trailed off. Iniabi smiled, wearing a pair of swimming trunks.

"Hello, Cynthia. May I join you?" Iniabi asked.

He had wrapped a towel over his lower body, but it left most of his legs bare. Cynthia's eyes were drawn to a series of scars that ran along the Exalt's calves and thighs. Marks of sword and axe cuts, or the teeth and claws of beasts they had fought together.

 _"There are so many of them."_ Cynthia thought.

She suddenly realized that she was staring and averted her eyes.

"Uh, I don't mind." Cynthia replied.

The white haired girl heard the rustling of cloth as Iniabi laid his towel aside, and felt the ripple as her husband slipped into the Hot Spring on her right. After a moment, she glanced over. Iniabi was sitting next to her and leaning back, with his eyes closed and his arms resting on the rim of the pool. His right shoulder, which was closest to her, was scarred as well and had a series of parallel slashes, likely from the claws of a Risen.

 _"Even after all this time, they still look so fresh."_ Cynthia thought.

She turned away and crossed her arms. For a long moment, the only sound was the quiet dripping of the water. Eventually, Iniabi spoke softly.

"Cynthia? Are you feeling okay?" Iniabi asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just been feeling down lately." Cynthia replied.

"Why's that?" Iniabi asked.

"My mother. I've just been missing her lately." Cynthia replied.

"I'm sorry." Iniabi said.

Cynthia stiffened.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Cynthia asked.

"I know you don't like talking about Sumia, and I shouldn't have..." Iniabi started to reply.

Cynthia turned around, sending waves rippling down the length of the bath, and cut her husband off before he could continue.

"Look, Iniabi, it's not that. It's just... well..." Cynthia started to say. She sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and started to say "I was thinking of the battle in Richmond a little while ago. About how Marth was paired up with Sumia, and how...".

She trailed off.

"And what?" Iniabi asked gently.

"How I wasn't there with her. How I stayed at the front and didn't protect her. She..." Cynthia started to reply.

Her voice caught and she stared at her reflection in the water. She realized that her eyes were fogging up with tears and quickly wiped them away. Iniabi gave her a sympathetic look.

"I understand. We've barely talked about it since then. We've been so busy with putting the country back together that there's hardly been any time to think about anything else." Iniabi said.

Cynthia sighed.

"Apart from Severa and I, everyone else has left Ylisstol. Their out traveling, or rebuilding the Shepherds, or doing jobs of their own. And, well... I guess that Severa's not really the best person to talk to about this sort of thing. I don't want to upset her." Cynthia said.

"But you want someone to talk about it with, right?" Iniabi asked.

"Well... yeah." Cynthia replied.

Iniabi shifted closer to his wife and wrapped his arms around her, giving the white haired girl a warm fuzzy feeling.

"You can always talk to me about it." Iniabi said.

Cynthia mumbled something under her breath, and Iniabi leaned forward slightly.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you." Iniabi asked.

Cynthia shook her head.

"I didn't want to trouble you. You already have a lot of things to worry about, and I didn't want to be a burden." Cynthia said.

"You could never be a burden to me. Before I am the Exalt of Ylisse, or the King of Plegia, I'm your best friend and husband. No matter what happens, I promise that I'll always be here for you, okay?" Iniabi asked.

Cynthia glanced down at where the blue haired man's hand was resting.

"O-Okay." Cynthia replied.

She relaxed, and the two stared silently at the night sky above the Hot Spring for awhile, content with simply being in each other's arms.

"Hey, Iniabi? Remember when we first talked to everyone about our marriage?" Cynthia asked.

"Of course. I can recall Kjelle cheering us on, Laurent looking on at us in bewilderment, and the others being supportive. You might not know this fact, but even though your mother was happy for us, she said if I did anything to break your heart, she'd disembowel me with her lance." Iniabi replied.

Cynthia couldn't help but laugh. Despite the meaning behind the words, the mental picture of the clumsy Pegasus Knight saying such a sentence amused her to no end.

"Heh, I'd pass it off as her being humorous, but this IS my mother we're talking about, so she probably meant what she said. Still, her concern is sweet, but I'm sure we'll live quite happily with each other." Cynthia said.

Just then, a streak of light flew across the sky, leaving behind a trail of white. More followed behind, until it looked like the black sky was raining white light. Cynthia sighed happily.

"What a beautiful meteor shower. They say if you pray hard enough on a night like this, your greatest wish will come true." Cynthia said.

Iniabi thought back to a night years earlier, before Robin and Chrom disappeared and the Nightmare King started his conquest. The Shepherds had taken him and the other children out to see a meteor shower just like it. It was such a wonderful sight when he saw it, but he couldn't recall exactly what he wished for. It was so long ago, before life became a constant fight for survival. How he missed those simple days.

"Well, if that's true, what would you wish for, Cynthia?" Iniabi asked.

"Oh, I already have everything I could wish for. A life with the one I love most of all. I couldn't have asked for anything more." Cynthia replied.

"Thank you for saying that, Cynthia. Though if I had a wish, there would be one thing I would wish for." Iniabi said.

"Really? And what would that be?" Cynthia asked.

Iniabi looked up to the night sky.

"To help Corrin end this war quickly and for us to get back home. And so I can spend some more time with you, as husband and wife." Iniabi replied.

Cynthia pecked Iniabi's forehead and begin brushing her hand through his hair.

"You have a kind heart, Iniabi. I cannot express how proud I am of you. If there's one thing you should know, it's that you have my undying loyalty and love, and I will go whatever path you take us." Cynthia said.

Iniabi felt comforted at the statement that she would always follow after him. After resting for a bit more time, he yawned and stretched.

"Hey, it's getting a bit late. Why don't we get out of here and go to sleep?" Iniabi asked.

Cynthia nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose so. If I stay here much longer, I'm going to end up looking like a wrinkled-up fruit." Cynthia replied.

They stood up, got dressed, and exited the Hot Spring

* * *

Meanwhile, in Nohr, Severa walked into Inigo's tent with Owain.

"Okay, Laslow, what's so important that you needed me and and Odin to meet you alone?" Severa asked.

"Yes, old friend. What troubles you?" Owain asked.

Inigo looked around for a bit.

"Lord Xander has told me that when Corrin betrayed us, he was fighting alongside two other people." Inigo replied.

"So, Felicia and Jakob did.." Severa started to say.

"One of them was wearing a black coat with purple eye symbols on the sleeves. And the other was a certain someone that looked like another of our allies from our own time, had white hair, and wore dark flier clothing." Inigo said.

A silence came over the tent.

"Are you sure? I mean, Aunt Robin and Cynthia would have sent word if they were coming... right?" Owain asked.

"Maybe, but what if it isn't the Robin and Cynthia you know?" Inigo asked.

"If one of them is Grima, then why hasn't he raised Risen and killed people yet?" Severa asked.

"Look, I'd just thought I'd bring it up just in case." Inigo replied.

"Right. We have work to do. If it is them, we'll find a way to stop them." Severa said.

"She's right. If anyone can stop them, it's us." Owain said, zeal in his tone.

"Well, let's get moving, then." Inigo said.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Here's Corrin's Castle Address (be aware of spoilers if you visit): 01943-54591-83799-11750._


End file.
